Chapter 122: Breaking Free

In just a few minutes, the entire group of trackers had been wiped out. Only Leopard, who had been feigning unconsciousness to avoid the fray, managed to slip away during the heat of the battle, fleeing to the deepest part of the laboratory.

He had hoped there might be another exit underground, but this final laboratory was a dead end; there were no other escape routes.

As the desperate words left Leopard’s lips, heavy, machine-gun-like footsteps rapidly approached from the distance.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

One after another, the laboratory doors were shattered. The thick, reinforced gates were torn asunder as if they were made of paper, utterly incapable of stopping the ferocious monster. Just hearing the terrifying commotion was enough to know that Champion Victor was closing in.

Leopard’s heart hammered against his ribs like a drum. Cold sweat slid down his forehead, soaking his clothes as he realized that death was likely inevitable today. Champion Victor had slaughtered the other trackers as easily as one might kill chickens. Now, with only him and Black Rabbit trapped in this final room, there was nowhere left to run—no choice but to wait for the end.

His face turned ashen, and his legs went limp, causing him to collapse onto the floor. He tried to struggle to his feet, but his legs felt as heavy as lead, refusing to obey him. As the terrifying sounds drew closer, a profound dread of death consumed him. His limbs began to tremble uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered together, producing a rhythmic clicking sound.

Li Nanke gripped his bloody warhammer tightly, his eyes fixed coldly on the laboratory entrance.

"Leopard, we can get out of here."

"What?" Leopard turned his head, dazed, as if he hadn't heard clearly.

"I said we have a way to escape, but you must cooperate with my plan. There can be no mistakes."

Leopard scrambled to his feet, like a drowning man clutching at a final straw of hope. "What way?"

"You must first promise that you will follow my instructions completely. If you run off on your own again, we will both die here today."

The trackers’ collapse had been largely due to Champion Victor’s overwhelming power, but it was Leopard’s refusal to follow orders and his decision to flee first that had caused their combat formation to disintegrate entirely.

Leopard felt no shame at this; he pounded his chest and swore by his grandmother’s life that he would never disobey orders again. He urged Li Nanke to stop stalling and reveal the plan, as the enemy was almost upon them.

Li Nanke flipped his wrist, and an ancient, yellowed piece of parchment appeared out of thin air.

"I found this scroll here, along with instructions on how to use it."

"This parchment contains a teleportation array inscribed by an alchemist. The destination is unknown; I only know there is a restriction: it requires Champion Victor’s blood to be smeared on it before the scroll is torn to activate."

Leopard took the parchment and looked at it; it was covered in strange, alien symbols. He couldn’t understand them, but besides the alchemists, who else would use such bizarre markings?

"Champion Victor is too strong. I can only hope to inflict enough damage to draw blood if I land my strongest strike, but after that one hit, I will likely be dead or severely wounded."

"So, I will give my all to create an opening for you. What you need to do is seize that brief moment while I repel the enemy, smear Champion Victor’s blood on the parchment, and take me with you when you teleport out of here."

"This is our only chance at survival. Do you understand!"

The monster’s footsteps stopped right at the laboratory door. Leopard had no time to ask questions. He nodded vigorously, clutched the parchment tightly, and hid in the corner of the laboratory, holding his breath, not daring to make a sound. Both he and Sly Rabbit were experts in stealth and assassination; if they hid with enough care, most trackers wouldn't be able to track them.

*Boom!* The laboratory door was ripped apart.

Countless fragments sprayed out like shrapnel from a grenade, and a massive, terrifying figure squeezed through the frame into the laboratory.

The monster’s frenzied gaze swept the room. Leopard’s expression stiffened; even hidden in the dark corner, holding his breath and suppressing his heartbeat, he had been spotted by Champion Victor.

The cruel gaze lingered on him for only a heartbeat before shifting to Li Nanke, who stood in the center of the laboratory.

Roaring flames erupted from the thorn-wrapped warhammer. Amidst the dazzling firelight, Li Nanke pointed at the enemy and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Champion Victor had once been the greatest wrestler in Krat City. Even after succumbing to total madness, he still recognized the most common provocation used in the ring.

A furious roar erupted, deafening and thunderous. Even with his ears covered, the sound made Leopard’s eardrums ache and his soul tremble with cold fear.

The massive, hulking body lunged forward, covering the distance to Li Nanke in two or three strides. With every step, the ground cracked and crumbled; the earth shook, and the sonic booms in the air sounded like a high-speed, heavily armored train. The momentum of Champion Victor’s charge was so horrific that it made any thought of resistance feel futile.

Leopard couldn't help but swallow hard. He didn't know how Li Nanke could possibly withstand the enemy, nor did he understand how he could make this terrifying monster bleed. If it were him facing Champion Victor, he wouldn't even have the courage to resist; his only thought would be to run for his life.

He watched as Champion Victor clenched his fists together, muscles bulging and black veins protruding all over his body. The massive, millstone-sized fists descended from above. The force of the wind they generated exploded with a sound like rolling thunder, causing the entire laboratory to vibrate.

Leopard didn't doubt for a second that if that punch landed, the person beneath it would have their bones and flesh shattered, just like White Bear, crushed into a spray of blood and meat. No matter who you were—made of flesh or forged from steel—you would be reduced to pulp under that blow.

Such power was simply too great, too terrifying!

Li Nanke, trapped beneath the arc of that punch, felt it with excruciating clarity. Even before the massive fists landed, the air around him felt compressed into a solid, liquid-like state, nearly suffocating him. His ears were filled with the deafening roar of the air being crushed. A weaker person would have been unable to even think of resisting, left only to close their eyes and await death.

The terrifying force of this strike was even more savage and violent than the one that had killed White Bear.

"Cannot take this head-on!"

Li Nanke specialized in Beast-Nature; his physical strength was formidable, yet facing Champion Victor’s savage attacks, he dared not block. He stomped his foot, and the thrusters on his back erupted with azure flames, forcing him to dodge with everything he had.

*Boom!*

It was like a heavy artillery shell exploding; the entire laboratory groaned. Countless bricks and debris shattered, filling the air with dust as a massive crater appeared in the floor.

Leopard felt as if an earthquake had struck. The ground shook violently, and he nearly lost his footing. He stared with wide eyes, intently watching the battle between the two. If Li Nanke died, he would certainly be next, falling at the hands of Champion Victor.

Yet, Li Nanke showed no intention of engaging. He moved as slick as an eel, dodging by a hair's breadth. The stones kicked up by the punch struck his body with dull thuds; for a normal person, even if they dodged the punch, the flying debris would have pierced their body, turning them into a sieve.

The constant, deafening booms continued. Champion Victor was like a rampaging beast, throwing punch after punch. Li Nanke could only dodge repeatedly, retreating toward the depths of the laboratory, unable to engage the enemy directly. After a few exchanges, he was in grave danger, balanced on the edge of life and death. One wrong move, and he would be dead or crippled.

Soon, Li Nanke was forced into the corner of the laboratory, with nowhere left to retreat.

Champion Victor threw another punch, his savage power unleashed. Li Nanke kicked off the wall, using the momentum to spring away. The giant fist, along with half the arm, slammed into the wall like an iron rod piercing through tofu.

As Li Nanke’s body shot away like an arrow from a bow, he bypassed the giant fist and sprinted toward the laboratory door.

Champion Victor was not only powerful, but his explosive speed in a straight line was also incredible. However, this didn't mean he was a perfect fighter without flaws. Perhaps, when he was still human, he had been agile, but after artificial evolution, his body had expanded, and his muscle mass had increased exponentially, significantly reducing his flexibility.

By comparison, the Beast-Nature enhancements provided all-around physical strengthening. While Li Nanke’s strength had increased, his neural reaction speed, coordination, flexibility, and agility had also improved. He had no shortcomings in terms of physical capability. That was why he had been able to dodge Champion Victor’s attacks repeatedly.

A crazed roar echoed through the underground lab as Champion Victor pulled his arm from the wall. If he could land just one hit on that small human, the opponent would be crushed like a tomato. But this weak enemy was as slippery as if he had been greased. He had swung again and again, only to be dodged every time. Once, his knuckles had even grazed the corner of the enemy’s clothes—he had been inches away from swatting him like a fly.

This only made Champion Victor more furious and insane.

He turned suddenly, but did not immediately pursue. Champion Victor took a deep breath, and his massive chest puffed up like a bellows. Then, the muscles in his legs surged with blood, becoming terrifyingly thick as black veins and tendons popped out.

The earth shook violently, and a series of sonic booms erupted in the air. Champion Victor’s figure shot forward like a rocket, whipping up a gale that howled through the basement.

Li Nanke was just reaching the laboratory door when a violent gust of wind surged behind him, accompanied by a thunderous boom. He didn't even need to look back to know that a giant fist was coming.

To take that hit was certain death!

Li Nanke didn't have time to think; he rolled to the side…

Leopard watched as that terrifying punch struck the ground, as if a thousand tons of explosives had detonated. The resulting blast made his vision go dark, and his head swam as if his brain had been shaken loose. Centered on the spot of Champion Victor’s punch, the floor was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, with a massive crater in the middle.

"That’s not a punch—that’s a hundred times more terrifying than artillery!"

Leopard saw Li Nanke roll on the ground, narrowly dodging the monster’s full-force blow. Before he could even stand, Champion Victor’s other fist was already descending.

"He can’t dodge this!"

Leopard couldn't bear to watch what would happen next. In his heart, he couldn't help but curse; Black Rabbit had promised to create an opening and make Champion Victor bleed, but he had been beaten into total submission, doing nothing but dodging. If the enemy didn't bleed, how was he supposed to use the teleportation scroll to escape?

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

He saw Li Nanke, as if anticipating that the first punch would miss and the second was already primed, roll on the ground and then rise in one fluid motion. Towering flames roared to life on his warhammer. The scorching heat hit him in the face, making his skin burn and making it almost impossible to keep his eyes open.

Scattered paper scraps on the floor ignited instantly. Leopard felt his own hair singe and curl under the intense heat. The bloody warhammer in Li Nanke’s grip had expanded into a giant fire hammer, its head covered in sharp thorns, grown so large that it was even bigger than Champion Victor’s fist!

This was not a weapon for a normal person; it was a divine tool that only a fire giant could wield.

The 'Alchemist’s Star-Crushing Gauntlet' encased his right hand. The self-so crystal on the back of the gauntlet shone with a dazzling light, and jets of scorching steam vented from his wrist, providing even greater power.

Large and small, tall and short—the two figures collided. One swung a fist in a downward diagonal arc; the other twisted his waist, stomped the ground, and thrust his hammer upward in an explosive blast.

Li Nanke’s stomp felt as if he were trying to pierce the earth; his upward swing seemed intent on shattering the sky!

This was a clash of power without any tricks—a raw, naked exchange of violence!

"BOOM!"

A violent shockwave exploded from the point of impact, sweeping outward in a visible ripple!

Leopard felt his vision black out, as if he had been hit head-on by a heavy carriage. His chest ached, and his body was forced backward uncontrollably. The already cracked ground could not withstand the impact; countless bricks and stones exploded outward, kicking up a sky-filling cloud of dust and ash.

One figure went flying backward, smashing through the laboratory wall, leaving a human-shaped hole before collapsing outside, life or death unknown.

Champion Victor’s massive frame also stumbled backward uncontrollably. His left hand was drenched in blood, dripping with a viscous, emerald-green fluid. His four thick finger bones were twisted and mangled like a wrung-out piece of rope.

Leopard clearly saw that from the spot of their collision to the path where Champion Victor had retreated over ten meters, there were splashes of emerald-green blood—the blood that had dripped from the wounds on the monster's left hand.

Li Nanke had taken a hit and was currently lying motionless, while Champion Victor was in no better shape, his left hand shattered, still reeling from the shock of being knocked back.

"Now!"

Leopard lunged forward, the parchment in his hand unfurling in the wind. He covered the distance to the laboratory entrance in two steps, grabbed the parchment, and wiped it against the floor, coating it in the emerald-green blood.

At this moment, Champion Victor had regained his composure, his crazed eyes locking onto Leopard.

Leopard shivered, not bothering to check on Li Nanke, and frantically tore the parchment open. He had promised to follow orders and take Li Nanke with him when he teleported, but whose life mattered more than his own? He had been the first to flee once; betraying Li Nanke a second time was nothing. He had abandoned his tracker comrades to save himself; what was one more person?

As the scroll tore, starlight began to leak out...

Leopard looked at Champion Victor in the distance, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind. *No matter how strong you are, what can you do to me once I’ve teleported away?*

He wore a sneer of contempt.

The light from the parchment enveloped Leopard, but instead of teleporting him away, it formed a massive barrier of light, protecting him from above, below, and all sides, like a giant turtle shell. This light barrier not only encased him but also blocked the laboratory exit. Unless the enemy broke the barrier, they couldn't get out.

Champion Victor let out a crazed roar, punching the barrier repeatedly, causing layers of ripples to form. Leopard stood frozen inside, listening to the terrifying sound of the monster’s continuous blows and watching the ripples in the light.

Each time the enemy struck with full force, the barrier dimmed slightly. Even with its powerful defensive capabilities, it couldn't last long under such a relentless onslaught.

Leopard finally realized he had been played by Li Nanke. He pounded on the barrier, trying to get out, but the barrier not only blocked external attacks, it also prevented those inside from leaving—it was clearly meant as a temporary defense.

"Black Rabbit! You goddamn bastard!!!"

Outside the laboratory, Li Nanke, who had sat up at some point, coughed twice and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He didn't pay any attention to Leopard, who was trapped within the barrier. He picked up his bloody warhammer and walked away from the laboratory. With the defensive capability of the barrier, it would be enough to get him out of the cathedral area.

That’s right—what Leopard had used wasn't a teleportation scroll at all, but a 'Barrier Shroud' he had exchanged for after his last Forbidden Dream.

The shroud was purely defensive, a turtle shell that trapped you inside just as much as it kept enemies out. To use it to block an enemy, one had to be a willing sacrifice. Li Nanke knew what kind of person Leopard was; convincing him to be a sacrifice was impossible. Only by acting as the one who "needed" to be saved could he trick the other man into following the plan.

He had already obtained the key to the hidden node, the 'Alchemist’s Notes.' As long as Li Nanke could escape the underground laboratory and stay alive, the mission would be complete.

But Li Nanke was not the type to take a beating without getting even.

"Champion Victor, you are indeed strong... just you wait. I will have your dog’s head for this!"